NBA Playoffs Expert Picks Tonight May 2nd

Oh nelly, we're back at it with an insane array of Thursday night NBA playoff drama. The shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks will fight to keep their playoff hopes alive in Indiana to begin. With the nights' main attraction, and what promises to be a heated battle, getting underway from the city of Brotherly Love as the New York Knicks take on the Philadelphia 76ers. How can you not be a little romantic about playoff basketball?

Let's take a look at spread, moneyline and total plays to help you beat the books:

Jump To Picks:

Nick's Pick: Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers Player Prop
Nick's Pick: New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers Player Prop
David's Pick: Indiana Pacers -7.5 vs Milwaukee Bucks
David's Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -3 vs New York Knicks

Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks

Matchup Page: Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks, 6:30 pm ET

Team	Spread	Money	Total
Indiana Pacers	-4 (-110)	-184	O 216 (-110)
Milwaukee Bucks	+4 (-110)	+154	U 216 (-110)

Nick's Pick: Khris Middleton UNDER 41.5 Points, Rebounds, Assists (-115)

Khris Middleton has been one of the biggest surprises of these NBA playoffs. The former All-Star has gone off without Dame and Giannis in the lineup, averaging close to 27 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5 assists per game in the 2024 postseason.

However, even those outlier averages don't get us to this number. Middleton's surpassed this in only two of five games so far in this Pacers series. You've gotta think Rick Carlisle will have some sort of plan in mind for his stop troops, after the Pacers defense allowed Milwaukee to shoot 52.4% from the field in Game 5. He's doing all this through sprained right ankle.

Listen, Middleton's rebirth is a great story. But, this is a sucker bet. The books are trying to reel you in after the midrange maestro's big game on Tuesday. Don't fall into the trap. Until Game 3, the Texas A&M product had yet to record a game with OVER 41.5 points, rebounds and assists all season. The odds are against it happening again. My money's on the UNDER here. For those looking for more Bucks-Pacers plays, Chris has an intriguing same-game parlay for tonight's action.

David's Pick: Pacers -7.5 vs Bucks

Milwaukee may have ridden a wave of home-crowd desperation to an underdog victory in Game 5, but let’s face it--you can’t count on Patrick Beverly to get you 13 points every night. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard both remain doubtful, even if coach Doc Rivers is teasing that his injured duo is “very, very close” to returning. We’ll believe that when we see it, and in the meantime the Pacers are the natural play to cover and close out this series at home.

Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks

Matchup Page: Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks, 8:30 pm ET

Team	Spread	Money	Total
Philadelphia 76ers	+4 (-110)	+136	O 204 (-110)
New York Knicks	-4 (-110)	-162	U 204 (-110)

Nick's Pick: Isaiah Hartenstein OVER 17.5 Points, Rebounds, Assists (-128)

With Bogdan Bogdanovic on the shelf, Isaiah Hartenstein will play a ton of minutes in Game 6. The last time he saw 30 minutes on the floor, he racekd up 14 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in Game 2. See where I'm going with this?

Tom Thibodeau can't afford to play Josh Hart (14.5 point prop) and OG Anunoby (14.5 point prop) for all 48 minutes. His starting five looked tired and worn down late in Game 5, ultimately allowing the Sixers back into the game.

Expect Hartenstein to have a big role in Game 6. He actually had 17 PRAs on Tuesday night, despite only taking two shots. The former second-round pick has posted at least 17 points, rebounds, and assists in nine of his last 11 contests. Bet the OVER in this pivotal Game 6. The Knicks will need all the help they can get to stave off the surging 76ers. On top of that, our friend Chris Walder has cooked up a phenomenal same-game parlay for Game 6.

David's Pick: 76ers -3 Knicks

Which team is on the verge of a collapse now? New York thought this series was all but sewn up after its Game 5 win in Philly, but Tyrese Maxey (26.5 point prop) had other ideas. Joel Embiid (30.5 point prop) is soldiering through, Philadelphia’s owner is buying up loads of tickets to prevent Knicks fans from invading his building, and we’re going with the home team to win, cover and force a Game 7 in what’s proven to be a thoroughly competitive first-round series.